Opposites attract
by Nekohai
Summary: Bulma and Vegeta, how it happened, again
1. Nightly monologues

Nightly monologues  
  
Silence, only disturbed by a slight sound of snoring. The wind is blowing softly through the open window and over Bulma's face. She sighs and tosses and turns for perhaps the thousandth time that night. * What is it with me, why can't I fall asleep? * Bulma's eyes travel to the person next to her. His face looks peaceful, marred only by a scar. Bulma's fingers trace the pattern of this all too familiar face. *What is it I still feel for him? We've been together for so long, I just don't know anymore. I've always felt so comfortable beside him, but lately everything he does seems to irritate me. Have my feelings for him changed? Is he still more than a friend?* Yamcha, blissfully ignorant of Bulma's thoughts, mumbles in his sleep and crawls closer. Bulma stares at the ceiling. *Why am I suddenly doubting my feelings? I can't go on like this, pretending nothing is different. He seems to feel I'm drawing away from him and tries to hold on. All the extra attention, the flowers, the romantic nights. I have to make a decision.* However, realizing this, doesn't make it any easier. Bulma sighs and turns again.  
  
In another room, at the other side of Capsule Corps, another person also stares at the ceiling, quite awake. * What the hell is it that I am feeling? Emptiness, loneliness, desperation, what? Being brought back from the death was quite a shock alright, but I've had time to accept that. I've traveled through space, ending the existence of others, to come to terms with my renewed existence. Besides, it gives me a chance to reclaim my title as strongest and Prince of all Saiyans. So why am I feeling so empty? What's wrong with me? I've always adapted myself to new situations, so why is this time so different?* Somehow, everything had changed. He had no one to answer to for the first time in his life, and somehow he had become one of the good guys. Thoughtless destruction wasn't an option anymore, and long subdued en neglected feelings kicked in. And to top all that, he had sort of a home again, no longer traveling from planet to planet, from ship to ship. During all too many sleepless nights, Vegeta found out he was having a rather hard time with it all. Not that he showed it to anyone, of course. These nightly monologues being the only outward sign. * Doesn't seem like I'll be catching any sleep soon, some training will do me good*. This being said, or better thought, Vegeta powers up, slides open the window and flies out into the quiet night. 


	2. New settings

New settings  
  
Soft, yellow light filters through the curtains. The sound of dripping water can faintly be heard. *Ah, nothing like a nice hot shower to start the day* Bulma thinks, rinsing some more strawberry flavoured shampoo in her hair. *And I may have grown up, but there's nothing more exiting than strawberries.well almost nothing, Bulma smirks. "I'm going down to eat, babe", Yamcha yells through the door. Bulma's smirk fades. *OK Bulma, back to reality, time to make a few changes.* A determined look sets upon her face.  
  
Vegeta stumbles out of the gravity room and squeezes his eyes tight. *I must have been in here longer than I thought.* He stares at the sun. *Mmm, looks like it's around noon. That's it for today. I really need a break.* Vegeta drops down in the grass and closes his eyes. The sun shines upon his face. *Aah, that sure is something to be said for this planet. The weather and serenity here are absolutely amazing.* Right about then angry shouts can be heard, followed by the sound of footsteps. *Must be Bulma, she sure sounds pissed off this time.* Suddenly the sun is blocked and two flashing blue eyes appear into his vision. Vegeta smirks. *Well, it seems that my break is going to be extended a little. This better be good.*  
  
A quite agitated Bulma stands before Vegeta. *Damn, that didn't turn out the way it was supposed to. She hadn't meant to break up with Yamcha, she'd just wanted to discuss her changed feelings. Maybe in a long-lasting relation you weren't supposed to do so. As long a something wasn't said out loud, it could be ignored. Discussing your doubts made them an issue, something to be resolved. It almost felt like discussing your doubts made the break-up inevitable. Which was exactly what the conversation had led to. Yamcha, shocked by her confession, had said he doubted she really loved him and had decided they needed some time apart. But wasn't that what she had secretly wanted to happen? Didn't it help if it was Yamcha who made the decision, even if she herself had staged it? If she was really honest with herself, she had to admit to feel relieved, to feel finally free to do exactly what she wanted to do. Which at the moment was finishing the final stage of her project. That this meant getting Vegeta to help her, had of course nothing to do with it.* Having had this conversation with herself, Bulma focused on the person lying beneath her. *Don't even picture that Bulma!*.  
  
"Vegeta, I'm going to do an experiment and I could really use your help. " *That's a first. She's never needed my help with an experiment before, I wonder what she really wants. It probably has something to do with that lousy boyfriend. However, since I'm on a break anyway, I'll just play along for now.* "Fine woman, what do you want me to do?" "Just follow me to my lab Vegeta, I'll explain there." Having said this, Bulma strides off. Vegeta, interest peaked, follows. "You really need to control your temper, woman, you might hurt the boy sometime." "Yeah, well, no need to worry about that anymore", Bulma sighs, "but you're probably right, I really do need to work on my temper. Oh well, first thing first". Bulma resolutely opens the door to her lab and drags Vegeta inside. The room inside is cluttered with various items of all kind of forms and shapes. Bulma walks towards a desk and picks up something that looks like an ordinary gun. "You see, I've been working on a cloaking device. When I fire this, a holographic field will surround the person I aim at. This field can take the form and appearance of another person. It even transforms the voice of the person inside it to match the voice of the person that is resembled. I finished the last preparations yesterday and I've been looking for an opportunity to test it. Because I'm not completely sure it will work, and because there is a slight chance that the person inside the field is electrocuted, I've been unwilling to try it on myself. You, on the other hand, should be strong enough to deal with any unexpected occurrences. So, are you willing to try this baby out for me?"  
  
Vegeta looks at gun fascinated. *She sure has a brain in there somewhere. Such a machine could be very useful for espionage. Which is probably exactly why she designed it, being the heir to the Capsule Corps and all. My, my, not such a person of inscrutable moral as it might seem.* "Fine, fire away woman. Just make sure I don't look like your silly human." "Don't worry about that Vegeta,. You'll be the person you've always wanted to be." *Oh boy, this is going to cost me. But he is the only person at hand to test the prototype on, and I can't help needing a lot of information on the person I want the shield to resemble, which means it needs to be someone whose physique, voice and behaviour I know quite well.*  
  
Bulma pulls a small disc out of her breast pocket, puts it in the gun, pushes a button and points the gun at Vegeta. A slight humming can be heard. "You're ready Vegeta?" Vegeta just crosses his arms and smirks. *I'll take that as a yes*, Bulma thinks, and pulls the trigger. A bright flash of light appears and the air seems to bubble and boil around Vegeta. Last thing to be seen is Vegeta's hair, standing up proudly. Than, suddenly, Goku is standing in Bulma's lab. "Yes", Bulma jumps up and throws her fist in the air, "I did it, I'm a genius." She starts to do a small victory dance, only to be interrupted by a loud cough. "Well, that just great woman, I'm sure you can accumulate your wealth by doing some illegal espionage now. But what the hell do I look like", Vegeta asks, getting a little suspicious. "Mm, well never mind that, I will just reverse the settings and turn you back into your old royal self", Bulma says, fumbling with the reverse-button.  
  
Vegeta however, skips to the mirror that hangs over the wash basin in the corner of the room. "Aaaah, you turned me into Kakarot! You must have a deathwish woman!", Vegeta fumes. "And what the hell did you mean by 'you will look like the person you always wanted to be!' " Suddenly, a loud hiss and a smell of burning rubber fill the room. "Ah shit, I burned my hand". Bulma drops the smoking gun and puts her hand in her mouth. "Seems there are still some minor glitches to work out. Maybe if I recalibrate the maximum setting, hmm." A deadly looking Vegeta, or better Goku, flies in front of her and pulls her out of her thoughts. "Oh Vegeta, don't worry, the shield will fade in a couple of hours. You'll be fine. And drop the 'I'm going to kill you' attitude." A killer Goku would shock the planet, and besides, like you're always saying, I'm the only one who can repair your precious gravity room" *Although I'm pretty sure you could do it yourself, if you wanted to* Bulma thinks. Her eyes start to twinkle. "But I know something we can do while you still look like this!" 


End file.
